On the corner of Great Ducie Street and New Bridge Street in Strangeways, Manchester is where two grain merchants, Thomas Caister and Thomas Fry, founded the Strangeways Brewery in 1778. Henry Boddington joined the business in 1832 as a traveler (the local vernacular for a repairman) and rose up to become a partner in the company. In 1853, Henry Boddington became the sole owner at Strangeways, forming Henry Boddington & Co. In 1877, a huge fire spread through the brewery and only the brave intervention of the fire service, prevented a huge disaster. In 1886, the company was renamed Boddingtons Breweries Ltd, following Henry’s death. On December 22nd 1940, German bombers knocked out the water tanks leaving the brewery up in flames. This disaster was later used as an opportunity to modernize the brewery and it’s techniques.